TSMC Showcases Advanced 1.6nm Process for 2026 Chips, With Up To 10 Percent Gain In Performance And 20 Percent More Power Efficiency – Wccftech
Apple recently introduced its M3 series of chips, which are fabricated on TSMC’s 3nm architecture for enhanced performance and efficiency. Today. TSMC has announced that it will be advancing forward in the field and introducing 1.6nm chips with major performance and efficiency gains. The supplier has been constantly working on a wide range of technologies, including the “A16” process, which is the supplier’s forthcoming 1.6nm node.
According to the supplier, the A16 process improves the chip logic, making it more denser with improved performance and efficiency. TSMC plans to begin production of the A16 process chips in 2026, which will encompass the all-new nanosheet transistors that make use of horizontal sheets of semiconductor material arranged in a vertical fashion to create a three-dimensional structure. The technology will be coupled with a unique backside power rail solution for enhanced performance and lower power consumption.
With the changes in place, the A16 technology will allow the chips to deliver up to 10 percent gain in performance and up to 20 percent decrease in power consumption compared to TSMC’s N2P process. Additional benefits of the new technology include a denser chip for a greater transistor count. Other than this, TSMC is also rolling out its new System-on-Wafer technology that allows multiple dies to co-exist on a single wafer. The by-product of the approach is increased performance with better spatial allocation.
Apple’s chip supplier’s current SoW technology is already in production, but it utilizes the Integrated Fan-Out or InFO solution, while the chip-on-wafer version will enter production by 2027. While both technologies will see daylight in the near future, Apple’s chip supplier is also readying 2nm and 1.4nm chips for the company. The 2nm chip based on the N2 process will enter trial production by the end of this year and will be the first to see the light of day after the M3 chip, potentially in 2026. Until then, the company will utilize the 3nm process. As for the A14 or 1.4nm chips, TSMC will begin production in 2027.
Apple is TSMC’s key partner in utilizing the latest chip technology, as we have seen in the past. For instance, Apple was the first company to source 3nm chips from TSMC for the iPhone 15 Pro models and the new M3 series of chips. Potentially, Apple will be the first to make use of TSMC’s A16 and A14 technologies in the future. This year’s A18 Pro chips will be produced using TSMC’s N3E process, while next year’s iPhone will boast the first chips with a 2nm node. We will keep you updated on the latest, so be sure to stick around.
Subscribe to get an everyday digest of the latest technology news in your inbox
Some posts on wccftech.com may contain affiliate links. We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com
© 2024 WCCF TECH INC. 700 – 401 West Georgia Street, Vancouver, BC, Canada
